Configurable Memory Card Connector for Standard and Tall Cards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors are unable to provide reliable connections for both standard and tall memory cards, as they either fail to support tall cards or cannot mate with standard cards, limiting compatibility and functionality.
Innovation Solution
The design of a configurable electrical connector with a housing, tower, and latch that can engage an extender to form a taller tower, allowing it to securely hold both standard and tall cards, with the extender providing additional mechanical strength and compatibility with different card heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the connector is designed with a fixed tower height, then it can provide stable mechanical support, but it cannot accommodate both standard and tall memory cards
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a movable latch mechanism that can dynamically adjust its position to accommodate different card heights. The latch transitions between locked and unlocked states, and can be positioned at different heights along the tower to secure either standard or tall memory cards firmly in place
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into modular components including the housing, tower, latch mechanism, and extender. This segmentation allows the latch and extender to be independently positioned or removed, enabling flexible adaptation to different card types without redesigning the entire connector structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tower height is increased to support tall cards, then compatibility with tall cards is improved, but compatibility with standard cards deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed as a universal interface that can reliably connect both standard and tall memory cards through a single structure. The tower provides a standardized mating interface for all cards, while the adjustable latch and optional extender ensure reliable mechanical retention for different card heights without compromising connection stability
3Adaptability or versatility
If a configurable tower design is implemented, then compatibility with different card types is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The configurable features are achieved through separate, pre-manufactured components (latch mechanism, extender) that can be independently produced using standard manufacturing processes. These modular elements are then assembled into the housing, allowing manufacturers to produce base units efficiently while offering configurability through optional attachments rather than complex integrated designs
Data Source
AI summary
A configurable electrical connector. The connector has a housing body, a tower extending from the housing body and beyond a mating face, and a latch movably coupled to the housing body and/or tower. The tower is configurable according to a mating component. The tower can be a tower portion formed with the housing body. The tower can include an extender, with a lower portion disposed inside the tower portion and an upper portion disposed on the tower portion. The extender has an opening through which the latch can pass for engaging a mating component at the locked position. Such a configuration enables the connector to reliably hold a card taller than a standard card (e.g., according to DDR5 or below), and therefore enable the connector to be compatible with both standard cards and tall cards so as to support different storage capacities and data rates.